Can 35-year-old Joo Min-gyu solve the biggest homework of Korean soccer
Can 35-year-old Joo Min-gyu solve the biggest homework of Korean soccer
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"I get better as I get older like red wine." In 2016, Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic showed his unique flamboyant remarks to the media. At that time, Zlatan was 35 years old when he first entered the Premier League after joining Manchester United. Although he has a high reputation in Italy, Spain, and France, he responded with words by saying that it is questionable whether a player in his mid-30s will be able to play an active role.
The comparison to wine, which ages and increases in value as the years go by, is not just for Zlatan's individual narrative. The front-line striker, who has to beat the breathtaking sweatshirt defense in a narrow penalty box, find a position to shoot, and make decisions with one or two elaborate touches, often opens his eyes to scoring as he gains experience.
The same holds true for Joo Min-kyu, the best native striker in the K-League. Born in 1990, and aged 35, Joo has surpassed 30 lines and has been maintaining his highest pace since 2021. During the four years between 2021 and 2024, he scored 66 goals in the K-League, and became the top scorer in 2021 (22 goals) and 2023 (17 goals). He also had the same number of goals as Cho Kyu-sung of Jeonbuk at the time with 17 goals in 2022, but missed the top scorer due to the large number of matches. In fact, he was the best scorer for three consecutive years.
In the last season, the team showed relatively sluggish performance compared to the previous three seasons and scored 10 goals. Some analysts say that the decline started due to age. Ulsan HD also sought to recruit new strikers along with generational change. In the process, Joo left Ulsan and moved to Hana Citizen in Daejeon.
"There's no flaw in physical strength, bone sensation, and body care."
The head coach of Daejeon is Hwang Sun-hong, who played as an undisputed starting striker for the Korean national soccer team (hereinafter referred to as the "A" national team until the 2002 World Cup Korea-Japan. Hwang also appointed Joo Min-gyu for the first time as the interim coach of the A team in March 2024. Understanding the mental state of a striker better than anyone else, Hwang viewed his relative slump in 2024 as a temporary phenomenon. On the contrary, Hwang said that he remained in the double digits despite injury and pressure, calling him "steady and upright as a goal scorer."
It was also Hwang who sent an active love call to Joo, who was expected to break up with Ulsan. He sent a message directly to Joo, who was considering entering overseas markets such as Japan and the Middle East, saying, "Let's do it together." Joo did not turn a blind eye to the coach's move, who gave him the advantage of being considerate of himself more than anyone else and even gave him a special opportunity to be selected as the first player in the national team. Thus, on the last day of December 2024, Joo decided to go to Daejeon. 안전놀이터
Since the beginning of the 2025 season, Joo has proven that Hwang Sun-hong has not been wrong. As of now, he has scored in four matches through the fifth round. As of March 21, he is the lone top scorer in the K-League 1 with five goals. Daejeon, where the Japanese striker scored six goals last season, is clearly strengthening its striker. He has won all four games in which Joo has scored, surpassing Ulsan to rank No. 1 in the league.